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Second Patient view

Please note, this page is a summary of the full conference speech (click here for the full transcript).

Lilian Rutherford, now Lilian Cerosoli

During her life as a transplant patient and renal patient, and latterly a nurse, Lilian had come to see herself looking as in a mirror at people like Polly Moseley.

"And it makes me worried, because in 1971, when I was first transplanted, I had just turned 17. When I look at the waiting lists nowadays and think of the waiting lists then, it makes me frightened - frightened in case, should I ever need another transplant, would I get one? Because I don't want to go back on dialysis.

"All my life as a kidney patient I've been lobbying - lobbying MPs, lobbying consultants, telling GPs what I want."

She went through the pros and cons of the way forward:

• The donor card and register - they had not been able to supply the quantity of organs as yet.

• Opting out required Government approval. Many people, of which she was one, were not in agreement. It might be better received if relatives were paid as an incentive.

• Living related - good if you have someone able to donate. She thought more information was needed on the long-term quality of care for the donor.

• Buying live donor organs- against the law at present in this country. Lilian had nursed patients from Coventry who had gone abroad and bought organs. One had never come back, one came back with an infection, another one was quite well - "but it's abusing the less fortunate."

• Buying cadaver organs - should the Government introduce and control the buying of cadaver organs?
  
  "I don't know, there goes the gift of life, doesn't it," said Lilian. She welcomed the fact they were doing a national audit on the supply of cadaver organs.

• Research on animal organs, i.e. pigs. Animal rights groups were against this, but Lilian supported the idea.

• The reintroduction of elective ventilation. Lilian thought that they needed to look more into non heart-beating donors.

  "I feel for transplant recipients. Their main aim should be to live as healthy a lifestyle as possible and be compliant with medication," said Lilian.

She also thought that medics should work closer with the Government to find ways to catch up with the growing demand for organs. The general public and the other medics needed to be educated better to prevent chronic renal failure.

"As patients we need to be out there telling people, educating people, giving your time like you're giving it today, to get your word over," she said.

Please note, this page is a summary of the full conference speech (click here for the full transcript).